The war caused unprecedented damage to the environment — destruction of ecosystems and large-scale pollution of air, soil, and water. According to the State Ecological Inspectorate, confirmed losses since the beginning of the full-scale invasion have reached UAH 6.01 trillion — the highest environmental losses in Europe in modern times. The most affected areas were the nature reserve fund (3.63 trillion UAH), soils (1.29 trillion UAH), atmospheric air (967 billion UAH) and water resources (117.8 billion UAH).
Strikes on industrial facilities cause serious consequences: after the attack on the oil depot in the village of Kryachky in the Kyiv region, more than 41 thousand tons of toxic substances were released into the air, and soil pollution exceeded the norm by 17 times; similar cases were recorded in Chernihiv, Sumy, Rubizhne and Severodonetsk. The destruction of hydraulic structures, in particular the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP in 2023 and the destruction of the Oskil reservoir dam (loss of 76% of the water volume), led to the collapse of aquatic ecosystems and the loss of protected areas.
In general, the war affected about 20% of Ukraine’s protected lands, some of which, including “Askania-Nova” and the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, are still under occupation. Soil contamination with heavy metals and combustion products threatens fertility and human health, and toxic emissions also have a transboundary effect – about 3 million tons of harmful substances have been carried to Europe.
“At the end of 2024, environmental damage from a full-scale war amounted to 2.78 trillion hryvnias, and today they already exceed 6 trillion. This figure, unfortunately, continues to grow every day, as does the scale of the destruction of Ukrainian nature. The environmental damage caused by Russia is measured not only in trillions of hryvnias – there are decades ahead, necessary to restore destroyed ecosystems. And the scale of environmental destruction will go far beyond the borders of Ukraine, ” – noted the Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Zubovich.
The ministry emphasizes that UAH 6.01 trillion is only confirmed losses in the controlled territories, and a full assessment can be made after de-occupation and comprehensive research.
